Shaded Leaves, Cloudy Skies
by Jade Lark-dragon
Summary: She was a leaf drifting on the wind, a magical bird her only constant. Taking the Hunter's Exam would grant more freedom to their travels. So that without memories of family nor home, they could still pursue a fulfilling life. But what is broken will be restored with the knowledge of the past, bonds anew and old, and the Kurta's bloody history revealed.


The Exam

As Piquan and Asuln entered a white room – with enough space to easily contain several city buildings, the teen glanced around while Asuln shuffled on her head underneath her beanie hat.

Thick tension, as the unnaturally hushed sounds of such a large gathering pressed down, serious expressions drawn on every face.

_So different from the previous crowds. _A dry swallow, of muted anticipation. _They all have the air of warriors, like they're ready for challenges._

The preliminary trials of the Hunter Exam had been fairly easy, physically, when compared to _Guro_'s hell of training. Asuln didn't even have to help beyond rescuing a failing applicant, at her prompting, from an untimely death.

People were _supposed _to _die _in both the pre-trials and actual Hunter's Exam.

Just not if she could help it. At least, for those who didn't really deserve it. And Asuln would grudgingly oblige those wishes.

Piquan fingered the circular white numbered badge, which a funny green being in a tuxedo had given her at the Exam's hidden entrance doors. Number three hundred, written as number-specific symbols, not words, in the language of Common.

As several assessing glances drew to her as she stood in entrance of the room, she was glad a large grey beanie hat and white scarf covered most of her face.

Striding with a confidence she didn't really feel, Piquan strode to the nearest available floor space against a wall, and sat, knees drawn for arms to rest comfortably on.

_Wow, only a few people seem to be my age. Everyone else seems to be in their twenties or older. _Wasn't twelve years old the record youngest passing age?

Though it made sense. After all, people seemed to think older adults had a better chance of passing, and only a few test-takers passed, even after multiple attempts. Quite a few astounded looks had been thrown her way after she'd mentioned her intention to take the exam.

Sure, she was around fifteen to sixteen years old, according to _Guro_, but people often took her to be a lot older when she covered her face.

It was less of a hassle hiding behind a scarf in some situations. Less quips or harassments based on her age, less attacks from thieves looking for easy prey, or those eager to target a lone young teen for shady purposes.

But people also tended to mistake her as a boy more when she covered up. Being mistaken as a lone young male adult attracted less trouble while traveling through poverty stricken cities. Even if the few women present were given the same regard as the men…with the heavy assessing interactions going on, it was better to hide her body expressions.

From underneath auburn bangs, Piquan watched as the glances of the staring examinees switched to the next applicant who walked through the entrance. _Sizing up the competition, huh._

Most of the crowd had the feel of average people… but one, whom the crowd distanced themselves from – _like a school of fish around a hungry shark – _had the slightest blur of the air around him, the mark of a fellow nen-user.

Inwardly, Piquan shivered. Slicked red hair reminiscent of blood, cheerfully narrowed eyes, inhumanly sharp nails gleaming on every finger, his outfit reminiscent of clowns and playing cards.

The man was somehow the creepiest – and most powerful – clown she'd ever seen. _Ugh, hopefully Guro's present hides my nen well enough. I really don't want him paying any attention to me. _

_His aura…, it seems so _wrong_. _

As if the clown heard her thoughts, his eyes seemed to flick towards her direction. Asuln stiffened on her head, as if alert too of a predator's gaze.

Slowly – as if she naturally meant to all along – Piquan made to grab food, drink, and an electronic book-tablet out of her pack. Setting the plastic-screen to display an old biology magazine, sandwich and smoothie bought outside the exam site inside crossed legs, ignoring any attention focused on her, _like I'm as blind as a regular person, have no instincts nor discipline to know beyond immediate sensations_.

Chilled liquid of an earthy-sweet purple-root milk, garlicky bite of paper-thin meat and green onions on soft bread. Electronic pages turning underneath swiped fingertips. Warm feathers frozen on top of hair. Crisp, ventilated air with a hint of underground mustiness eddying with the breaths of hundreds of warm-blooded beings crowded together.

Then scanning bloodlust-tinged attention passed over. _Guro_'s gift – a nen-dampening jade bracelet engraved with ancient symbols hidden under her right arm bracer; one of the training tools of historical elite assassins and spies – rendered all but a bit of her aura undetectable so that she could _appear _to have the average energy of a non-nen-user, so long as she used none of her nen abilities.

So the clown's aura shouldn't cause this reaction. No, it was pure _instinct_ yelling for her to hide all her nen, and _Guro'_s teachings keeping _just _enough aura out for the bracelet to properly disguise her presence.

_If your presence suddenly vanishes, the strong opponents will _always_ be put on guard._

_Be the blade of grass in a plain. Bend with every breeze. Keep your roots strong, and you will not be uprooted. _

Halfway into a well-memorized paragraph, the small weight underneath her hat relaxed, shuffling around to a new comfortable position, softly cheeping his passing-of-danger call.

The focus was gone, the clown flipping through a pack of cards with a bored air. He didn't find them.

Inwardly relived, Piquan placed the other half of the food on the tiled floor, gently whistling at an wavelength human ears could not hear. Asuln popped out from his hiding place, and dove to the sandwich, yanking out his favorite parts and eating them one by one.

As Asuln gobbled his meal, a change rippled through the crowd. Amusement, cruel smirks plastered on some of the faces.

For an intstant, Piquan wondered, _are they laughing at Asuln? _No, they were looking elsewhere, towards… a heavily sweating young man with a sword strapped to his back, frantically pushing his way past the snickers, and bursting out the front entrance.

_Those people enjoying his pain… The man didn't seem hurt, though. No scent of blood, just profuse sweating, shaky steps, stumbling gait, pants of nausea-sickness._

Better that the man leave then, then attempt to take the test in his condition. Being unprepared could cost one their life, especially during the Exam.

But the way those people had _enjoyed_ his pain… they couldn't be counted as potential allies. _Or as a decent sort of people, for that matter. _

Finishing her meal while skimming over the now well-remembered pages of the science magazine, she idly noticed the middle-aged chubby man approaching her spot, his intention focused like a scent hound to prey.

As his shadow blocked her reading light, irritation prickled and she not-quite-glared upwards at the cause.

A belly covered in a grey tunic was the first thing she saw. He had short combed back brown hair, pug-like nose, grey tunic over tan long sleeved shirt and pants, and a bluish-grey canvas satchel.

He must have mistook her narrowed eyes as an attempt to see him better.

"Hi there! This must be your first time taking the Hunter's Exam!" his voice cheerfully introduced. A curious glance towards Asuln, who was dragging his food away from Tonpa's shadow while otherwise ignoring the strange man.

"Yes, it is." Piquan neutrally agreed. _He's very friendly, for a stranger. Kind of like those salespeople trying to sell something. _

_Does he want something? _

The short answer seemed to take him aback. His expression suggested he was waiting for more information to be volunteered…then the chubby guy gave up, and ploughed on. "… Well, my name is Tonpa. What's yours?"

"…Piquan."

"… I see! Does your pet have a name too?"

"…Yes… his is Asuln."

"Ah! He's an unusual looking bird."

"…Yes."

"…" Tonpa's smile was still plastered to his face. Piquan had to commend him for staying so long. She wasn't the most social creature around people she'd never met before, and started halfheartedly thinking about ways to continue the conversation.

Tonpa realized he would have to carry any talk at this point, and settled into a chatty-mode to fill up the awkward silences.

"So!" he exclaimed. "Did you know I'm a veteran of the Exam?"

A raised brow seemed to spur him on. "Yes, I've taken the Exam for a total of thirty-five times, so I'm a quite the expert!" Arms proudly crossed, he declared "I probably was younger than you when I first started."

Grunts, and a few nods and shakes of the head were enough to keep Tonpa chatting. He talked about the usual total number of phases the Exam had (five to six, depending on the number of remaining examinees), what previous phases had tested, and other Exam veteran-test takers and their reputation professions; a wrestler, blow-gun hunter, monkey-tamer, snake charmer, bee-keeper, bow-user… those she vaguely remembered, the rest blurred into a forgettable mass.

"Mr. Tonpa?" Piquan interrupted. Tonpa's halted mid-sentence about the poor passing rates of each phase, surprise comically struck across his face. She continued anyway. "Do you know anything about what happened to the man with a sword on his back who ran out the front entrance? He still hasn't returned."

Propping an elbow in a palm, Tonpa's thumb rested across his face in a thinking pose. "Ah… that guy. No, I can't say that I have… Hmm, I didn't recognize his face from before, so I think he was a first-timer, like yourself. Why? Are you worried about him?" As he answered, expressions flitted across Tonpa's face, too quick to make out.

"Not really… I mean, he wasn't injured or anything. It was more like it seemed he had some type of intestinal problems. I was just wondering." The man's face twitched underneath her earnest stare. _Again, like he isn't telling the complete truth. But he said he knows all the regulars, so what about the clown…_ "You're a veteran of the Exams, so do you know who the clown-like guy is? The one with red hair building a card pyramid?"

Piquan pointing him out, Tonpa glanced, and shivered. "Yeah… he's Hisoka, the crazy magician." Leaning in, he whispered in a fearful tone, as if Hisoka would hear them, "He cut off a man's leg just outside the Exam site for bumping into him! You should stay away from him. I've seen a lot of people take this test, and he's one of the most crazy one's I've ever seen." His throat bump bobbed as he dryly swallowed. "He's one of those types you need a team for in order to properly watch out for."

From his satchel, Tonpa's plump hands abruptly pulled out a plastic-wrapper wrapped bar. "So how about it? Let's help each other whenever we can, Piquan." Holding the shiny rectangle good in front of him, he asserted, "This is just a token of my appreciation."

Piquan stared, then nodded in acceptance, catching the bar as it was then tossed. "Sure. Thanks." _Guro_'s parting advice echoed in her mind.

_Your skills are good enough now to pass the Exam by yourself. But it's not just about fighting strength or abilities. It's a chance to find future comrades. Those who you can rely upon for aid, to share in your times of sorrow and joy. So choose wisely. _

Another smile, and Tonpa waved, walking away into the crowd. "Good luck on the exam."

"You too," she echoed.

Then read the bar's packaging. Chocolate-caramel Energize. Guaranteed to give you a natural boost of energy. Chocolate and caramel. Cacao-based solids and cooked sugar with cream, dessert foods. Both types of sweets were tasty enough high-calorie sources.

Asuln had finished the sandwich and his post-meal preening, but perched on her shoulder. He eyed the factory-made food with interest. "_Cheep?_"

Piquan unwrapped it, and held it up so bird tongue could eagerly taste the new treat.

Only for the pressed sweetened grain to be spat upon the ground in disgust with a "_Pfaah_." Disgusted tiny coughs shook a tiny frame, then black tail feathers ripped the bar from startled fingers, sending the bar soaring over the crowd's head.

Someone cried with outrage as it dropped on their head, as Piquan dropped a bead of sweat. _Definitely didn't like it. _

_Hope Asuln's victim doesn't notice where it came from…_

But Asuln ate _everything_ that could be considered food. Nothing fazed him. _He only reacts that violently to food with drugs or poisons in them. Foods that can't be made safe._

_Even when I ate those wild mushrooms five years ago_…

As her mind relaxed with the comfortable fullness of her stomach – now used to the tense standoffishness of the rest of the crowd, bored as no immediate danger presented itself – Piquan allowed herself to relive a memory traced from the wandering thought.

_Wandering through the wilderness, not a sign of humans anywhere in sensing range. Waiting for the familiar flash of blue to appear, bearing freshly killed animals or fish – their meat choked down raw in the desperate days before she'd learned to start fire – or fruits. _

_While exploring, she had seen a fat ground-dwelling bird foraging from a patch of creamy pink mushrooms_ – which she now knew had been a "Swift Stomach Grouse", the species known for their ability to process all foods as their stomachs "swiftly" processed their diet and released any toxins through their waste_. Thinking them safe, she'd ate the mushrooms, raw just as the fat bird had. They'd been rubbery and savory, a nice change from the then-usual diet of flame charred meat and berries… until she'd collapsed five minutes later. _

_Time had flown by in a the haze of a sweat-soaked fever, the world twisting from rancid fear and terror turning, every shadow and shape forming into bloodied specters only seen from the corner of her eyes. She'd blacked out. Then the sensation of cool hands on her brow and a strong, comforting embrace drew her back. When she'd awoke and regained her senses, Piquan had found herself leaning against the huge chest of Asuln's giant form, huge fruit-laden branches placed around them like a makeshift fortress on the ground. _

From what she gathered, Asuln had cared for her during her sickness. A smoky savory scent and warmth revealed her old campfire, kept alive with green wood, the sickness inducing mushrooms cooked and piled on a broad leaf. Clean water in a freshwater shell, forced on her immediately upon waking by fussing blue bird who switched sizes and forms on a need-based whims.

One of the earliest times Asuln proved himself far more advanced than the rest of the Aves kingdom, with a fierce devotion she never discovered how she'd earned.

But from then on, Asuln insisted on tasting _every _new food she prepared before allowing her to eat it. Sort of like the tasters ancient royalty had used to detect poisons. After a few years, he'd relaxed their strict meal ritual, after she proven she wouldn't get food poisoning from eating unknown wild or human-prepared foods. It was more of a habit than anything to offer Asuln first bite.

So Tonpa's food was bad. The listed expiration date hadn't passed either. _So either the food he gave me was contaminated without his knowledge_

_…or he deliberately poisoned the food_.

_Maybe the guy who ran out earlier, who was also new, also tried one of Tonpa's bars…_

Just as Piquan stood up to find Tonpa – Asuln now perched on her hat – a song boomed from speakers located in each corner of the room.

It was loud, only a woman's powerful voice, singing a rich melody just as complex as the tunes of Asuln's meditations.

But it was the scintillating waves of peach-colored nen emanating from the speakers tensing Piquan in alertness, her invisible nen forming outside her body to shield her and Asuln from the effects. But the pink nen was a clinging mist, dyeing everyone in the room, even sticking to her own energy.

Then the foreign nen disappeared from sight all at once, the sensation of almost-fog-like vapor on bare skin proving the nen still present on her own. There was no bloodlust nor battle intention in it, but she couldn't figure out just _what_ the foreign nen's intent.

Song tapering to an end, the doors opposite the entrance creaked open, heavy fog billowing out to carpet the ground. A woman appeared, dressed in a flowing layered purple and white dress with deep sleeves, elbows draped with a sash, long raven hair pinned in elaborate jewelry and ornaments, with the appearance like a polished Kakinese princess of ancient times – smiled ruby-red lips, and bowed, bells chiming with every moment.

She seemed out of place, like a delicate crystal vase among rough stone pots.

But the subtle flow of peach-aura around her proved her diamond-like, far stronger than most of the whole crowd combined, and the source of the nen that had pervaded the room.

Hisoka noticed too, and was eyeing her with a hungry interest as she placidly ignored him, and the rest of the crowd inched further away from the clown.

Yup. Definitely staying away from him at all costs.

"Welcome contestants all, and congratulations on making it… to the 286th annual Hunter's Exam!" the princess-lady dramatically declared, her voice melodic but loudly ringing throughout the hall like a clear bell silencing the murmuring. "I am Mokkinuta, and your exam proctor. Please, follow me, and I will lead you to the starting ground of the next exam phase." A dramatic swish of sleeves and tinkling ornaments, and Mokkinuta glided away into the doors into which she'd come, fading into the fog.

As the crowd followed, Piquan packed away her belongings, lifted her beanie for Asuln to perch under and joined the stream.

Mokkinuta had been the one to cast the nen, and the first exam proctor. So proctors could use their nen on the examinees.

She must be already testing them then, evaluating them somehow through her nen ability, which Piquan had yet to figure out.

Tonpa would have to wait.

Notes

*_Mokkin uta_ – xylophone song (Japanese)

_Guro_ – teacher (Filipino)

_Asul_ – blue (Filipino)

Kakin – a country in the Azian continent; loosely based on an East Asian country.


End file.
